IOC president stands up for athletes from Russia and Belarus

Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has defended the decision of the organisation's executive board to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as neutrals. Source: a statement by Bach at the UN Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, as reported by the BBC Details: Bach said it is the right decision, as "individual athletes cannot be punished for the acts of their governments".

The IOC head also believes that the war in Ukraine is just "one war among 28 wars and conflicts going on [in] this world and all the other athletes are competing peacefully with each other".

Background: On 8 December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus will be eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games as neutrals. Teams will not be allowed to participate. Furthermore, Russians and Belarusians who actively support Russia's invasion of Ukraine will not be allowed to compete.

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